South African Rusks Recipe
🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Cook Time: 12 hours
🕒 Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
🥖 Yield: Approximately 24 rusks
Description:
Indulge in the delightful flavors of South Africa with these traditional South African Rusks. Perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee or tea, these crunchy treats are easy to make and even easier to enjoy. Follow this recipe for a taste of South African goodness!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
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Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it lightly with butter.
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Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
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Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and pure vanilla extract until well combined.
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Form Dough: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir together until a soft dough forms, resembling the consistency of biscuit dough.
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Roll Out Dough: Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
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Cut into Rectangles: Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut the flattened dough into rectangles, approximately 2 by 4 inches in size.
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Bake Rusks: Place the rusks on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each one. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are crisping and beginning to brown.
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Dry Rusks: Once baked, remove the rusks from the oven and transfer them to a clean baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (90°C). Return the rusks to the oven and allow them to dry for approximately 12 hours, either during the day or overnight. The rusks should become very dry and hard during this time.
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Cool and Store: Once fully dried, remove the rusks from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, store the rusks in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.
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Enjoy: Serve your South African Rusks alongside your favorite hot beverage for a delicious treat any time of day!
Variations:
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Oatmeal-Raisin Rusks: Reduce the amount of white flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 2 cups of rolled oats along with 1/2 cup of currants or chopped raisins to the dough.
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Almond Rusks: Incorporate 1 cup of chopped almonds into the dough and omit the cinnamon for a nutty twist on the classic recipe.
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Peanut Rusks: Enhance the flavor with 1 cup of coarsely chopped peanuts mixed into the dough for a delightful peanutty crunch.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 128.1
- Fat Content: 4.7g
- Saturated Fat Content: 2.7g
- Cholesterol Content: 26mg
- Sodium Content: 126.9mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 18.6g
- Fiber Content: 1.4g
- Sugar Content: 3.3g
- Protein Content: 3.2g
These South African Rusks are a true delight to make and enjoy, offering a taste of tradition and warmth with every bite. Whether you’re serving them for breakfast, as a snack, or as a thoughtful gift, they’re sure to be a hit!
